Good outcome

[Paul S.]

A mate of mine was an Air Traffic Controller at Fort Benning Georgia in the 1970s. He told me they had a similar event when the Airborne School was running a jumpmasters' course jumping from a UH1 early one morning before the normal jump cycles started. The student went out to the end of the static line and no further. The student was knocked unconscious by all appearances. Landing with him there posed a risk as the parachute might have deployed and been sucked into the rotor if the bag opened when the tension on it was released. So, they circled, and circled and circled while they tried to find a solution. After half an hour of orbiting the drop zone, the helicopter crew chief tied static lines from the previous jumpers together, tied himself to the helicopter with the static lines, climbed out on the skid and physically hauled the student up, tied his rig, and tossed him in the aircraft. They then landed safely.

Apparently, all motivated not by courage, but by too much morning coffee and a full bladder.

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